Donald Trump strongly suggested he wants to take the stand in his own defense in the event that he's indicted over his false claims about the 2020 election.
And cameras aren’t allowed in federal trials. That’s the real crime here.
Since I’m seeing people claiming that he’d plead 5A when questioned -
A defendant that chooses to testify in court has waived their 5A rights. A prosecutor can not compel a defendant to testify–that’s where 5A comes in–but if a defendant chooses to testify, then they may not refuse to answer relevant questions. Answering questions untruthfully if you’ve chosen to testify is, by itself, a crime. If a defendant lies, which Trump is almost certain to do, then the prosecutor can call rebuttal witnesses to prove that the defendant was lying under oath.
Witnesses–people not on trial–can plead 5A and refuse to answer questions. Prosecutors will sometimes give witnesses immunity from prosecution for truthful testimony; that negates the 5A interest.
Since I’m seeing people claiming that he’d plead 5A when questioned -
A defendant that chooses to testify in court has waived their 5A rights. A prosecutor can not compel a defendant to testify–that’s where 5A comes in–but if a defendant chooses to testify, then they may not refuse to answer relevant questions. Answering questions untruthfully if you’ve chosen to testify is, by itself, a crime. If a defendant lies, which Trump is almost certain to do, then the prosecutor can call rebuttal witnesses to prove that the defendant was lying under oath.
Witnesses–people not on trial–can plead 5A and refuse to answer questions. Prosecutors will sometimes give witnesses immunity from prosecution for truthful testimony; that negates the 5A interest.